Canada plans to raise French-speaking admissions outside Quebec to 12% by 2029. These are the federal routes built for that.
The routes compared
| Route | Gives you | French | Job offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Express Entry, French category | Permanent residence | NCLC 7, all four skills | Not required |
| Francophone Community Immigration Pilot | Permanent residence | NCLC 5, all four skills | Required, from a designated employer |
| Francophone Mobility (C16) | Work permit | NCLC 5, speaking and listening | Required |
| Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot | Study permit, then a path to permanent residence | NCLC 5, all four skills | Not required |
| Provincial nominee French streams | A nomination, then permanent residence | Set by each province | Varies |
Every route has more requirements than this table can hold. Follow its link.
Express Entry's French category
IRCC's main tool: over 81,000 candidates were invited through it from 2023 to February 2026. You need a profile in the pool and NCLC 7 in all four skills. See this year's draws and cutoffs.
Francophone Community Immigration Pilot
Permanent residence for people with a job offer in one of six French-speaking minority communities in New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia. The communities and requirements.
Francophone Mobility
An employer outside Quebec hires you with no LMIA. It asks for the least French of any route here, but it is a work permit, not permanent residence. Requirements and how to apply.
Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot
For French-speaking students who live outside Canada and are citizens of an eligible Organisation internationale de la Francophonie member in Africa, the Middle East or the Americas. The program must be post-secondary, full time, at least two years, and mostly taught in French. IRCC's page has the rest.
Provincial nominees
For 2026, IRCC reserved room for up to 5,000 extra Francophone nominees, and the new plan keeps the Provincial Nominee Program at 95,000 admissions a year. Each province runs its own streams and rules, so read your province's site.
Quebec is separate
Quebec selects its own economic immigrants and has its own test version, TEFAQ. The targets above count admissions outside Quebec. See TEF Canada is not the general TEF.
One test, several levels
The minimum scores on TEF Canada, on the column Express Entry uses:
| Listening | Reading | Speaking | Writing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCLC 7 | 249+ | 207+ | 310+ | 310+ |
| NCLC 5 | 181+ | 151+ | 226+ | 226+ |
Common questions
What is the easiest French route to Canada?
No route is easy for everyone. The Francophone Mobility work permit asks for the least French, NCLC 5 in speaking and listening, but it needs a job offer and is not permanent residence.
Is French enough for Canada PR without English?
French alone can qualify for Express Entry's French category if you meet a program's other requirements. It earns 25 additional CRS points without English at CLB 5, and 50 with it.
Which French test does IRCC accept?
TEF Canada and TCF Canada are the two it names for Express Entry and the community pilot. Check each program's page, since some accept other proof, such as a program of study in French for Francophone Mobility.
Where can I practise for TEF Canada?
TEF Trainer, which publishes this guide, has all four papers online: 1,923 listening and reading questions, including TEF-style predictions, and 435 speaking and writing topics with model answers, plus English translations and answer explanations. 142 questions and 32 topics are free, with no account and no card.
Practise with TEF Trainer
TEF Trainer is TEF Canada practice for all four papers, in your browser.
- Predictions: TEF-style listening and reading predictions, based on recent exams and updated regularly (558 questions).
- The full question bank: 1,923 listening and reading questions in all.
- Every speaking and writing topic (435) with a model answer, in French with English alongside.
- English translations and answer explanations, plus shuffle mode, autoplay and audio speed control.
142 questions and 32 topics are free, with everything switched on. No account, no card.
Start practising free See pricing
General information from IRCC's published rules, not immigration advice. For your own case, see a licensed consultant (RCIC) or a lawyer.
Updated November 2026. Exam rules and fees change: check them with your test centre and on canada.ca.